Online Public Relations Thoughts

Daily entries on Public Relations and communications ideas and trends

Wednesday, September 07, 2011

How?

How do you protect the reputation of a bankrupt institution? That is the challenge that the US Postal Service is facing. USPS is losing its mission as the deliverer of first class mail. It is overburdened with labor and offices. It needs to slim down quickly but it can't do so unless Congress permits it -- and Congress isn't focusing on the Service's issues right now. So it watches its endpoint approaching with no way to stop it. The USPS is a 19th and 20th Century institution that has been prevented from changing. To many it is irrelevant. To the Service's credit, it has tried to join the internet revolution that is killing it. Thus far, it has failed with too little, too late. The Service is a laggard by comparison to its competitors -- United Parcel and Federal Express. -- and even with restructuring, it is unlikely to match their much smaller overhead. So, envision yourself as a PR person for the Postal Service. What do you say? What do you advise its leadership? Tough situation, isn't it?